ANN forum set to analyse impacts of this year’s flurry of elections in Southeast Asia

During that period, the Asean bloc is likely to see national elections take place in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. Elsewhere in Asia, there will also be national elections in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and local elections in Taiwan and Bhutan.
These national elections are taking place amid the growth of populist politics, whether the UK’s Brexit, Spain’s Catalan independence movement or US President Donald Trump’s recent victory.
“Democracy is clearly under huge pressure. The political landscape is being redrawn everywhere, at least it seems,” said Pana Janviroj, executive director of Asia News Network.
The speakers will include Kingsley Abbott, senior international legal adviser, Southeast Asia, International Commission of Jurists; Assoc Professor Eugene Tan, Singapore Management University; Kobsak Chutikul, secretary-general, Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council; Nuttaputch Wonggreanthong, blogger, Thailand; Bhokin Bhalakula, politician, Thailand; and Gavin Bowring, analyst, Asia.
They will be joined by executive board members of Asia News Network (ANN), including Zaffar Abbas, editor-in-chief, Dawn, Pakistan; Mahfuz Anam, editor-in-chief, the Daily Star, Bangladesh; Ravindra Kumar, editor, The Statesman, India; and Endy Bayuni, senior editor, the Jakarta Post, Indonesia.
The symposium will comprise two sessions: The first on populist politics and democracy and the second on Asian politics in the age of social media.
The gathering’s audience will have an opportunity to assess the outcome of elections through the eyes of experts in the wake of ideological shifts, geopolitics, technology and business interests and, of course, the personalities and influences of political leaders in these respective countries, Pana said.
The activity is part of the ANN’s series of regional activities and celebrates the launching of ANN websites www.asianews.world and asianews.network.
The event will take place at the Renaissance Hotel, Rajdamri Road, Bangkok. Registration is free of charge at http://nregister.|nationgroup.com/ANN/registration.php or call 02-338- 3371.
ANN members comprise The Korea Herald, China Daily and China Post, Gogo Mongolia, Yomiuri Shimbun and The Japan News, Dawn (Pakistan), The Statesman (India), The Island (Sri Lanka), Kuensel (Bhutan), Kathmandu Post (Nepal), Daily Star (Bangladesh), Eleven Media (Myanmar), The Nation (Thailand), Jakarta Post, The Star and Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), the Phnom Penh Post and Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), The Borneo Bulletin (Brunei), The Straits Times (Singapore), Vietnam News, Philippine Daily Inquirer and Vientiane Times (Laos).